Mercury, the closest planet to our sun, gets much less attention than some of our other celestial neighbors. Less than half the size of Earth and less than half the distance from the sun, Mercury is only observed near sunrise or sunset and is not nearly as bright as Venus or Jupiter.
Fortunately, Mercury is visible near the eastern horizon, just before sunrise, for the next couple of weeks; bright Venus and red Mars are just off to its south. Those willing to rise before the sun are thus treated to a planetary trifecta!
Hot, rocky Mercury has a surface temperature above 350 degrees F and the sun's disc appears twice as large (compared to our view from Earth) due to its close-in orbit. Gazing at its distant glow on a cold, winter morning, one may be warmed by these facts.
